Shanghai is situated in the middle of the east coastline and southern wing of the Yangtze River Delta. It is China's major industrial and commercial centre. Shanghai has a population of over 13.5 million, ranking first in China in terms of population and population density. It is an important hub for land, marine and air transportation in China, with its ports ice-free all the year round.

 Shanghai is characterized by a warm spring, hot summer, cool autumn and cold winter. July and August are Shanghai's hottest months, with an average temperature of 27.4 degrees Celsius. In winter, January is the coldest month, with a temperature averaging at 3 degrees Celsius.

   The Shanghai Stadium

   The Shanghai Stadium will serve as one of the Football venues for the 2008 Games. Built in 1997, the stadium covers 190,000 square meters and has a seating capacity of 80, 000.